Paper level measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713929-B2
Application number	US-201213483165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2012
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

Detecting a continuous level of paper in a paper supply providing paper for a printing device. A length of the paper supply includes applied indicia, with the indicia extending contiguously across the length of the paper supply. When a paper section is dispensed, the position of the indicia on the dispensed portion of paper is determined, with the position reflecting a level pertaining to the paper supply remaining or dispensed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
loading, into a printing device, a paper supply comprising indicia, wherein the indicia comprises two lines, including a first line starting from a first corner at a first end of the paper supply and a second line starting from an oppositely positioned second corner at the first end of the paper supply, wherein the first and second lines converge to meet at a common point at a second end of the paper supply;
in response to the printing device receiving a request to dispense paper from the paper supply, a sensor in electrical communication with the printing device measuring a first position of a first point on the first line with respect to a second position of a second point on the second line on the paper supply;
assessing a lengthwise measurement of the paper supply, including calculating a remaining length of paper supply based on the measured distance between the first and the second positions; and
dynamically dispensing the paper from the paper supply in response to the calculated remaining length of paper supply.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculated remaining length of paper supply indicates a level of a non-dispensed portion of the paper supply.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein assessing the lengthwise measurement of the paper supply comprises comparing the non-dispensed portion to a defined threshold, the threshold identifying a print job end position towards the second end of the paper supply, and the comparison determining if the non-dispensed level is sufficient to satisfy the received request to dispense paper.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein dispensing the paper comprises determining if the non-dispensed level attains the threshold, and further comprising replacing the paper supply with a new paper supply if the threshold is attained, and dispensing the paper from the paper supply if the threshold is not attained.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia is comprised of magnetic ink.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia is comprised of infra-red sensitive ink.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia is comprised of ultraviolet sensitive ink.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reporting the assessed lengthwise measurement of the paper supply to the printing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia is comprised of visible ink, and wherein the position of the indicia is visually observable.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assessment is performed by a tool in electrical communication with the sensor.

Assignees

• Qiya Chiang
• Sundaram Dhanalakshmi Kalyana
• Koh Seng Kiat
• Lestario Christ
• Liwa Francisco Deligero
• IBM

Inventors

• Qiya Chiang
• Sundaram Dhanalakshmi Kalyana
• Koh Seng Kiat
• Lestario Christ
• Liwa Francisco Deligero

Classifications

• B65H2701/12422

  codes or the like which can be used for further processing, e.g. relative to consumed or still available material · CPC title

• B65H2220/03

  indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se · CPC title

• B65H2511/114

  Remaining length of web roll · CPC title

• G06K15/4065

  Managing print media, e.g. determining available sheet sizes (feeding means G06K15/16) · CPC title

• B41J11/009 Primary

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title